Field of the Disclosure
The following is directed to abrasive articles, and particularly, to bonded abrasive articles suitable for processing hard materials such as sapphire.
Description of the Related Art
The use of porous abrasives to improve mechanical grinding processes is generally well known. Pores typically provide access to grinding fluids, such as coolants and lubricants, which tend to promote more efficient cutting, minimize metallurgical damage (e.g., surface burn), and maximize tool life. Pores also permit the clearance of material (e.g., chips or swarf) removed from an object being ground.
Bonded abrasive tools are particularly useful in grinding and polishing hard materials, such as single crystal materials typically used in electronics and optics industries. For example, one such material is sapphire, used as windows for infrared and microwave systems, optical transmission windows for ultraviolet to near infrared light, light emitting diodes, ruby lasers, laser diodes, and even as substrates for microelectronic integrated circuit applications, growth of superconducting compounds, and formation of semiconducting materials, such gallium nitride and the like.
Grinding and polishing of single crystal materials, such as sapphire, is an extremely slow and laborious process. Aggressive abrasive processes and materials must be utilized to achieve acceptable polishing rates, and yet such processes put the integrity of the single crystal material at risk for damage and contamination.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved abrasive articles for grinding and polishing hard, single crystal materials such as sapphire.